Among the many Catawba
Valley families I have researched has been that of MINGES/MINGUS.
It can be confusing for the researcher with two distinct families in
the same area: The line of Conrad who settled in what is today's
Catawba County and that of George, who settled west of his possible
cousin, Conrad. The family of Conrad has been covered in much of the
material available in local libraries. The family of George,
however, has been severely neglected until this point. Only
recently was the family of George Mingus covered in detail when
Dorothy Moore Bernay published "One Mingus Family of the Great
Smoky Mountains." This book is designed for the researcher who
hasn't the time or opportunity to search for original records. Never
have I seen a resource so replete with copies of original records!
Group sheets and time lines account for deeds, land grants and court
records that provide a complete documentation of this family. Rarely
does a researcher have the diligence to follow the migration of a
family in the manner of Mrs. Bernay. Church records, letters and all
manner of legal documents trace the line, from George, to his son,
Abraham, to the migration of Abraham's son Richard Ephraim,
westward. To anyone researching this line, this book is a prize of
incalculable value. While one particular family is covered, the
researcher will be able to determine the dividing line between the
families of George and the families of Conrad. I highly recommend
this book.

Derick S. Hartshorn

Soft-cover, 111 pages, 8½"
X 11"
Contains a wealth of original document copies,
reference sources and a user-friendly table of contents.(The binder has a library-friendly
spine with the book name and author)